The Alpha's Crown

Thanksgiving

Finally!!!!!!!!!!

After we finished playing around in the kitchen, we prepared the turkey, finished peeling potatoes, and had everything cooking. Normally, I would have started the turkey far earlier, but with the charm from Puck, I knew the turkey would cook faster than normal. Thus, everything else needed to be started earlier too.

Before long, the meaty scent of the cooking turkey filled the kitchen and I laughed when Zane sat by the oven, sniffing the air every few seconds. "Pup," Kael scoffed, shaking his head while he watched him with a fond grin.

Asher rolled his eyes at his brother, but I noticed him subtly sniffing whenever he thought no one would notice.

Kol and Dom just shook their heads and helped me finish everything, causing the twins to glance at us with guilty expressions. Dom whacked the back of Asher's head and my mate yelped in surprise. "You helped," Dom reminded him with a dark glower. "But you've missed this part of being puppies. If we had a problem with it, we would have said something."

After that came the rush of setting the table which the twins volunteered to do, Kael carved the turkey, Dom mashed the potatoes, Kol transferred the stuffing from the pot to a bowl, and I made gravy from the turkey drippings.

As we sat around the table, I giggle when Dad kissed the top of my head, while Auri stuck his tongue out at Sif. She elbowed him in return and Dad rolled his eyes before lecturing the children to behave.

Laughter filled the room as we passed dishes around the table stuffed so full of chairs, we barely had enough room to eat. But it was perfect. Joe chose to sit near us but held his plate on his lap and eat to make it easier on himself. Reef did the same, only he sat beside Cove.

I grinned when Skarr entered the room, a dark scowl on his lips that dropped the second we greeted him with smiles and offered him a plate. Link and Zelda had joined us when we were ready to eat, so Skarr was the only one missing. Even the ferals ate around us, then laid by out feet, shamelessly trying to entice us to give them more food.

Once our early dinner finished, we ate pie and talked about how thankful we were to be together again. We ended up watching a movie together, and I tried to stay awake, but the heat of my mates lulled me into a doze.

Later, I felt like I was floating, and I grumbled while snuggling closer to Asher as he carried me upstairs. Zane's soft yawn filled my ears, but I flinched when Kael offered some warm milk to the younger twin.

I tried to warn my mate, but my mind was too fuzzy. *No... trap...* was all I managed but it was already too late.

Asher spun around and Kael chuckled. I could tell by the gentle thud that Zane dropped the glass, but Kael caught my mate. A soft scrape as I tried to force my eyes to open led me to think Kael lifted a second glass from a nearby table.

"Go set Melody on the bed, pup," Kael ordered, his voice chillingly cheerful. "Then we can do this the easy or hard way. Your choice. I promise the easy way will be far better for you."

"How kind of you," Asher snarled, his voice full of betrayal.

"This is only to keep you pups out of trouble. David does not want you there," Kael explained, his voice gentler. "Neither does your mother."

"Zuriel could have-"

"It is not far to force Zuriel to knock you kids out whenever things get tough. Not only will it negatively affect him, but soon you will flinch from his touch. Every time he reaches for you, you will assume it's to put you to sleep. Besides, this won't hurt you. You might have a dry mouth when you wake, but you will live," Kael said with a soft scoff.